Mail-bag holder.



Patented Aug. 6, I90I.

A. M. HARRIOTT.

MAIL BAG HOLDER.

(Application filed Apr. 10, 1901.,

(No Model.)

WITNESSES A TTORNE Y5 m: nonms PEYERS co. PHOYO-LIYNCL. Wmmm'on. n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

ALEXANDER M. HARRIOTT, OF RYE, NEYV YORK.

MAIL-BAG HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 680,041, dated August 6, 1901. Application filed April 10, 1901. Serial No- 56,163- (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER M. HAR- RIOTT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Eye, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Mail-Bag Holder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a device for holding mail-bags on the crane until they are taken by the bag catcher of the usual railway mail-service. Heretofore great difficulty has been experienced in providing a device which will hold the bag securely under ordinary conditions, and yet quickly and effectively release it when the bag is engaged by the catcher or fork of the railway-train without breaking out the rings.

My invention provides a device which will hold the bag securely under all conditions excepting when strain is placed sidewise on the bag, and then the bag will be quickly released, so that it may be carried away by the train without injury to the bag.

This specification is the specific description of one form of the invention, while the claims are definitions of the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is a side View of a mail-bag crane having my invention applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the holders.

a indicates the standard of the crane, and b the two arms between which the bag 0 is held. The holders are provided one for each arm I), and each holder comprises an arm 0, adapted to be connected by any suitable devices with the arms of the crane. This arm '0 carries a U-shaped bar 01, which is pivotally connected to the arm 0 at the point 02'. Sliding in the parallel members of the U- shaped bar d is a rod '8, which has a pin (2' extending across it, and bearingbetween this pin and the opposite end of the bar d is an expansive spring f, which serves to throw the bar to the left, as in Fig. 2. The outer end of the arm c is turned laterally to form an abutment 0 running parallel with the parallel members of the U-shaped bar d, and at vof the rods e.

the inner end of the arm a a transverse member o is, located, this member serving the same purpose as the member c -that is to say, to form an abutment. Between these two abutments c and o the rod 6 normally lies, and when the rod is engaged between said abutments the U-shaped bar d lies in line with the arm 0. Assuming the parts to be in this position and that the ring of the bag is engaged with either end of the rod e at points between the abutments o and o and i the adjacent end of the bar d, the bag will be held securely and firmly in place and it will be prevented from accidental dislodgment. The only strain on the bag which will result in its disengagement from the holder is a strain tending to turn the bar 01 around its pivot d, thus throwing the bar and the rod 6 out of parallelism with the arm 0 and disengaging the ends of the rod 6 from the abutments 0 and 0 This results in the release of the rod e. The bag engages the outer ends The springfpresses the rod firmly against the abutment c and this holds the parts in active position by the frictional engagement of the rod with the abutment. When the rings of the bag are to'be released, this frictional engagement is of course overcome by the force exerted on the bag.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A mail-bag holder, comprising an arm or body portion with an abutment thereon, a.

bar pivotally mounted on the arm or body portion, and a spring-pressed rod carried by the bar and adapted normally to engage the abutment.

2. In a mail-bag holder, the combination of an arm or body portion with two abutments thereon, a U-shaped bar pivotally mounted on the arm between the abutments, and a spring-pressed rod mounted on the bar and moving therewith, the rod being capable of lying between the abutments to hold the mail-bag.

3. The combination of a body member, an axially-actuated rod normally engaged with a part of said body member, and a means mounting said rod on the body member, by

a pivot transverse to the longitudinal axis of the rod, whereby to allow a lateral movement In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of 10 two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER M. HARRIOTT.

Witnesses:

JAMES M. FIELD, LAURA O. FIELD. 

